Art builds self-confidence in your child because your child believes that she can draw, and she enjoys drawing. The amazing thing with children is that they have no fear of engaging in artistic activities especially when you build their confidence.
Engage in the following to support your child’s art experiences at home:
- Do you help your child feel good about her art? By saying something like this, “I love how you used the color blue in your picture. It reminds me of the ocean.” Don’t name objects in the painting for your child because your meaning could differ from your child’s; let her tell you what something is.
- Do you engage in art with your child? Sit at the kitchen table and do a coloring page with her.
- Do you give your child different ways to use art materials? Give your child crayons and let her make crayon shavings using an automatic pencil sharpener. Then glue those shavings to a piece of construction paper. Then cut it into stars or other shapes. Add string and you have a mobile! * Do you have a special place to display your child’s artwork? Make space on the kitchen refrigerator or kitchen walls and use letter magnets to hold up the art.
Art promotes creativity.
Creativity brings out your child’s personality and builds her self-esteem.
Encourage your child to experiment with art products in the following ways:
- Have faith in your child’s artwork and tell her you like her art.
- Refrain from of fering too much help.
- Accept your child’s creative products without placing a value judgment on them.
- State the conf idence you have in your child to make the project her own.
When you view your child’s artwork and ask questions, she realizes the creative process involved is of great value to you. In other words, the process is more important than the product you want to hang on your wall or refrigerator. To allow for true creativity there must be no boundaries to what she is allowed to make or draw.
